Joseph L. Rosano, Jr. (“Joe”), 92, of Cromwell died peacefully on May 30, 2026 after a brief illness, with his wife, Betty, and their children at his side. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph L. Rosano, Sr. and Kathleen (Hurley) Rosano, and his older brother, Louis E. Rosano.

Joe lived in Middletown and Portland for most of his life. He was a 1952 graduate of Middletown High School where he was a standout scholar-athlete as a state-record hurdler and captain of the state champion football team. After interrupting his undergraduate studies to enlist in the US Army, Joe graduated from Wesleyan University in 1958. He described his Army service as “two of the best and most important years of my life”.

Joe spent his career as a math teacher in Middletown’s high schools, but he considered himself a “coach first”. Whether standing at a classroom blackboard or in a team huddle, or sitting in a one-on-one discussion as a mentor, he lived to teach, to coach, and to help.

He coached football for over 30 years, first as an assistant at Woodrow Wilson High School, followed by head coaching positions at Middletown High and Glastonbury High. He compiled a 38-14-0 record at Glastonbury, won a state championship, and was honored as Connecticut’s Class LL Coach of the Year. He also coached the Woodrow Wilson girls’ varsity softball team for several years.

Joe enjoyed working outdoors throughout his life, and he became an active gardener after moving to Portland. He built rock walls, brick walks, wood decks, koi ponds and perennial gardens, and maintained a large vegetable garden for many years. He and Betty took pride in their gardens, and enjoyed cultivating and donating hundreds of seedlings each year to the Portland Garden Club’s plant sale.

Joe discovered Old Saybrook and its marshes and coastline at a young age and was a life-long boater and fisherman. Some of his greatest joys were sharing adventures on the water with family and friends, and sitting on the deck of the family’s cottage, watching ospreys soaring over the salt marsh of Great Hammock Beach.

Joe is survived by his wife of 67 years, Elizabeth T. Rosano (“Betty”, nee Tringali), their children (Joseph L. Rosano III (“Joel”) and his wife, Diane (Painter), of Franklin Lakes, NJ; Michele Fitzgerald and her husband, Brian, of Fiskdale, MA; and Denise Landy and her husband, Kirt, of Portland, CT), six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Joe’s nieces and nephew were also a treasured part of his life.

Joe was filled with gratitude for his many blessings, from his family, friends, and colleagues, to the students and players whose energy and talents inspired him, to his experiences in the Army and in the wide variety of jobs he held throughout his life. He was grateful for longevity and decades of active retirement and good health. And most recently, he expressed deep appreciation for Achol, Anna, Brigit, Deana, Sasha, Sylvia and Travon … real-life angels whose genuine kindness was a daily gift.

Funeral services will be Thursday, June 11 at 11:45 AM at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown, followed by burial with military honors in the State Veterans’ Cemetery in Middletown and a luncheon celebrating Joe’s life. Visitation will be Wednesday, June 10 from 5 to 7 PM at Biega Funeral Home. Those who wish may send memorial contributions to Save The Sound (New Haven, CT) or the Middlesex Health Hospice Program. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.